Thomas Cleary
Current Company and Position: President, Local Union No. 3, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Family: Married to my wife Maureen and we have three children Thomas, Lauren, and Matthew.
First Job: My first job was working for F. W. Woolworths Company unloading trucks, stocking merchandise on the shelves and assisting customers.
What it taught me: Working at Woolworths taught me the importance of being on time and helped me learn to interact and communicate better with coworkers. I learned you’re going to make mistakes, and that it’s important to learn from those mistakes.
Best advice you could give someone starting out: My best advice would be to show up early and be prepared to put in a full day’s work. I would tell them to keep their eyes and ears open to learn from those with more experience and to ask questions when they are unsure.
Who is your hero and why? My hero is my father who served in the United States Army as a Paratrooper in the 11th Airborne Division prior to entering Local Union No.3, working as Journeyman Wireman for over 40 years. He is an individual with a quiet demeanor, who has shown me through his actions how much he loves his family. He has taught me the importance of being a hard worker, to be someone who always stands up for what I believe, and to always believe in myself. His advice on both a personal and professional level has guided me along my journey and has helped turn me into in to the person I am today.
Biography: Thomas J. Cleary President, Local Union #3, IBEW. Thomas J. Cleary was born and raised in Rockaway Beach, New York. He has been married to his wife, Maureen, for 29 years and they have three children, Thomas, Lauren, and Matthew. They currently reside in Lynbrook, NY.
Tom is a third-generation electrician whose family has a long history of serving the membership of Local Union No. 3, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. His grandfather, Edward, joined the union in 1920 and served as an original member of the Committee of One Hundred, chair of the union’s election board, and first President of the Colony Club which is an affiliated club of the union. Ed Cleary Jr. served the membership of Local 3 as President of the Allied Club of Queens, Examining Board member, President of Local Union No. 3 from 1964 to 1975, and President of the NYS AFL-CIO representing 2.5 million members, retirees, and their families. Tom’s father, Tom Sr. is a proud retired Journeyman wireman who was active with the Allied Club of Queens and served on the Election Board. His Uncle, John Cleary was Superintendent of Jandis Electric and Welsbach Electric.
Tom joined Local Union No. 3, of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers on October 15, 1986, as a member of the supply division, employed by City Electric prior to being accepted into the unions 5-½ year apprenticeship training program for the construction division on May 9, 1988. Upon completion of the training program, he received his “A” Journeyman card on October 13, 1994. As part of the training program, he attended the Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Center for Labor Studies where he earned an associate degree in 1992. In 2012, Tom returned to Empire State College earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Labor Studies. He has advanced his studies in the electrical field through attending classes given through the Educational and Cultural Trust Fund of the Electrical Industry and has received three certificates for attending the 64th, 65th, and 70th International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plan Conferences.
As a member of Local Union No. 3, Tom has worked in a supervisory position as a sub-foreman and foreman on Electrical, Fire Alarm and Tele-Data Installations. He found his real work began when his workday ended, getting involved with the Affiliated Clubs of the union, becoming a member of the Catholic Council of Electrical Workers, the Allied Union Club of Queens, and the Westchester Mechanics Association. Understanding the importance of giving back to the communities in which we work, he always answered the call when asked to volunteer for community service projects being done by these organizations. In addition, Tom served as a teller for the General Election of Officers for the union and worked on the Labor Day Parade Committee. Being recognized for his leadership abilities, Tom was elected by his peers to serve on the Wage and Policy Committee of the union. In addition, he served as President of the Allied Union Club Scholarship Fund from 2001 thru 2005 and served as the Allied Clubs President from 2005 to 2007. On April 9, 2007, The Executive Board of Local 3, upon the recommendation of Business Manager, Christopher Erikson, elected Tom to the board to fill an unexpired term for another board member. He served in that capacity until July 27, 2009, when the Executive Board elected him to serve as the Recording Secretary of Local Union No. 3. On October 15, 2018, Tom was appointed by the Business Manager to the position of Business Representative serving as both Recording Secretary and Business Representative until being elected by the Executive Board to serve and represent the union as its President in November 2019. In 2020 and 2023, Tom was re-elected to the position of President by a majority of the 26,000 members during the general election of officers.
Additionally, The Trustees of the Joint Industry Board of the Electrical Industry which administers all the plans and benefits that are collectively bargained between Local Union No. 3 and the employer contractors of New York elected Tom to serve as Treasurer. He sits as a member of the Joint Industry Board Oversight Committee and serves as a Trustee to 19 Joint Industry Board Plans. He is President for the I.B.E.W. Disaster Fund, Director of the Electrical Workers Death Benefit Society, President of the Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Memorial Association, and a member of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus.
Tom has represented the members of Local Union No. 3 as a Delegate to the IBEW Safety Caucus, the IBEW 3rd District Progress Meetings from 2007 through 2024, the NYS AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention and the 38th, 39th, and 40th I.B.E.W. Constitutional Conventions. He was recognized as “Man of the Year” for his work on behalf of the members of Local Union No. 3 by the Brooklyn Bedsole Kingsborough Club, the Catholic Council of Electrical Workers, the Asian American Cultural Society, the Allied Union Club of Queens, and the Amber Light Society.
